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Shadows on the Horizon
Darkness filled the halls of an elaborate palace. What dimension, nation, or realm, this palace was located in, could not be comprehended. The sky was forever blackened — frozen rain locked forever in a drizzle, raining from its hellish skies. On an elaborate balcony, on the topmost portion of this place, a large man sat upon his throne. "What is the status of the project?" the monarch's thundering voice struck out in the darkness. "It is nearly ready, your Majesty." a reply, from a much softer voice, echoed out in response. "Soon then, our ancient enemies will finally become our greatest weapon." the monarch replied. "It was so good of Akujin to bring his Majesty back." the weaker voice replied, its slim figure slipping from the shadows to stand behind its ruler's throne. "Yes. To give me... no... to give us a final chance. We shall not make the same mistakes as last time. It is time for Soul Society's despair... to begin..." the monarch replied, his voice distant as his mind. "Simply say the word, your Majesty, and your will shall be carried out." the weaker voice replied in agreement. "Sterben..." the monarch replied, a foreign tongue on his lips. "It shall be done." the slender man bowed, shrinking back into the shadows to accomplish his master's will. As silence once more reigned through the throne room, and eerie flash of lighting, followed by the low roll of thunder, flashed across the open balcony, revealing a battle-hardened man, dressed in a long, tattered cloak, and white military garments; his face lined with thick, black, facial hair, and a long flowing mane of head-hair. A grin, ever so mischievous and devious, snaked its way across his face, before darkness again concealed him from the world. Outbreak In the present... "Do you see these numbers?" Akon was reporting, his head as close to the monitor screen as he could get it. "Yes, its quite odd." Kagerōza replied, tapping his own computer screen. "What is generating these signals?" Akon rapidly typed on his keyboard, focusing in on the origin points of each of the strange signals, "I don't know what is generating them, Captain, but they seem to be originating from the battlefields. All of them at once." "We should deploy some probes in those areas at once, and—" "That won't be necessary." a higher voice cut in, cutting off Kagerōza. "I have already done so." Whipping around to see the source of the voice, both Akon and Kagerōza locked sights on one Kisuke Urahara, sitting idle in a Senkaimon, which had opened up in the center of the office. "U-Urahara!" Kagerōza hissed. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" "This," Urahara replied, holding up a small capsule, which he proceeded to toss towards Kagerōza. "What is this?" Kagerōza inquired, examining the small pill-like object. "It is a Reishi sample from one of the battlefields emitting that strange signal you were watching." Urahara replied, his tone unusually serious for one as playful as him. "We need to study it, immediately, and find the source." "For what reason, Urahara-san?" Akon spoke up. "The signals are puzzling to say the least, but we haven't picked up any dangerous reiatsu from those areas." "Because I've been to those battlefields." Urahara replied, with emphasis. "And we have quite the mess on our hands." "What manner of mess?" Kagerōza snapped. "...An outbreak." Urahara replied cryptically. Results "A Captain's meeting?" Shinji was saying. "Its only been two months since the last one! Geez, you'd think we were at war again!" "Stop your complain'!" Kensei shouted back, the two were walking down one of the Seireitei's many paved roads. "The Captain-Commander said it was urgent. You know Captain Unohana doesn't over hype these things. Besides..." "What?" Shinji said, noting Kensei's sudden pause. "Urahara will be present for the meeting." Kensei revealed in a hushed tone. Shinji froze upon hearing that, "Urahara? Why would he—?" "Exactly." Kensei snapped. "I have a feeling it is connected to whatever urgency the Captain-Commander was implying. Now let's move." The hall was silent upon Shinji and Kensei's arrivals. The other captains, minus Raian and the two vacant seats, all wore a face that depicted great worry and concern. It was likely that the other captains, like Shinji and Kensei, were concerned about the nature of the meeting. Urahara had only rarely attended Captain's Meetings since his departure from Soul Society, and even then, it was only in extreme situations. "They didn't call Raian-san back?" Shinji noted as he took his place with the other captains. "They did." this time it was Mashū, the Captain of division four, who spoke. "He hasn't arrived back yet." "What is the nature of the situation?" Kensei asked, the anxiety of the situation finally getting to him. "I suppose I can answer that." the sudden voice of Urahara announced. Flanked by Captains Unohana and Kagerōza, the once-exiled Shinigami Captain, Kisuke Urahara, entered the the meeting hall. Noticing the arrival of the Captain-Commander, the remaining captains came to attention. "The truth is, we don't know exactly what is happening." Urahara continued. "But we can bring you all up to speed on why this meeting was deemed urgent." "A few days ago, the Research and Development Department began to pick up on signals emerging from the major battlefields that were used during the previous war, here in Soul Society." Kagerōza picked up where Urahara left off. "With the help of Urahara, we obtained Reishi samples from these areas. The results were... strange, to say the least." "Define strange." Shinji quipped, sarcastically. "I've seen a lot." "Its a virus." Urahara cut in. "A mutation that is very similar to the one I was studying during my time in charge of the Twelfth Division." "Hollowfication?" Kensei queried. "Something like that." Urahara continued. "There is Hollow Reishi in the strain, but its... different. Mutated. But we don't know enough about it to know what it does or what created it." "Therefore, all Shinigami are hereby ordered to avoid those areas." Unohana spoke up, taking her place at the front of the meeting. "Until more in depth research of this virus can be provided, we must remain away." "Tell us all what you really think, Unohana-san." Renji spoke up. "This war isn't over yet, is it?" "The war is over." Urahara cut in, preventing Unohana from answering. "But that doesn't mean that this isn't a left-over chemical attack of some sort. The reiatsu in those areas is especially foul. We can't take a chance." "Stay alert." Unohana commanded. "I will convene another meeting the moment we know more." "What of Captain Getsueikirite?" Shinji asked. "Raian-san?" Urahara replied. "Seireitou-san is on his way to find him. With any luck, he hasn't been exposed... yet." Man in the Field Seireitou dashed through the air. In the distance, he could sense, faintly, Raian's spiritual pressure. Raian had built his academy a great distance away from the Seireitei, so it was taking an inconvenient amount of time to reach it. The usually calm silver-haired man appeared a bit frantic. Usually, threats were no big concern to him. He had faced every challenge head on to the best of his abilities. But he and Raian had felt it two months earlier. Something was coming. And that something was bad. After Urahara had gotten involved, Seireitou knew, whatever it was had finally reared its head. SWISH! Seireitou dodged to the right, his reflexes every bit as good as they were during the war. A projectile whizzed by, directly where the silver-haired fighter had once had his head. His senses alerted him to the approach of another foreign assailant from his left. Spinning around at just the right moment, he was just in time to block a second attack with his bare fists. Examining the scorched patch of flesh on his wrist, Seireitou narrowed his eyes. He knew this Reishi. "Kawahiru Seireitou." a voice said from behind. "Are you... a remnant of Tiro con L'arco?" Seireitou asked, spinning around to view his assailant. "Quincy..." "Tsk..." the assailant uttered. "Leave it to the Shiroyasha to find us out. Yes, silver-hairs. I am a Quincy. But no, I'm not a member of Akujin's failed insurrection." "Then what—?" "Uh uh uh!" the Quincy wagged his fingers mockingly. "I've already said to much. His Majesty has learned form past mistakes. You can't interfere, Shiroyasha." Realizing the danger, Seireitou bore his fists, ready to fight as he was most used to — with Hakuda. "Oh please, Shiroyasha-san. You see, I'm not a good fist fighter. There's no way I could stand up to you in such a battle." the Quincy mocked. Disregarding his Quincy foe's taunts, Seireitou struck. Fast. His speed was blinding, clearly the mark of a master, carrying all the force of several thousand years of experience. The resulting shockwave from such a devastating punch leveled trees and nearby cliffs, disintegrating them into nothingness. However, despite the sheer power displayed; the unmatchable speed; the Quincy was nowhere to be found. "Oh my, such an impressive display." the familiar mocking voice of the Quincy came from behind, stunning Seireitou. "Surely I'm no match for that kind of power." Seireitou did not wait. Launching into another impressive display, the Shiroyasha delivered a masterful combination of punches and kicks, each backed by a tremendous force. This time, he felt them connect. All of them. No doubt the first shot alone would've been enough to shatter the Quincy's bones. The second would rupture his internal organs. He'd be dead long before he even felt the first wave of pain overcome him. "Such marvelous power!" the Quincy chuckled mockingly. Seireitou was stunned. Akujin himself would've fallen to direct hits from Seireitou's unrivaled mastery of Hakuda. Not only had this Quincy.... fodder, managed to dodge his efforts, but also managed to take a rapid succession of blows from the Hakuda grandmaster and not one broken bone; not one rupture artery. Even his uniform seemed, for the most part, unharmed. "Surprised? I wasn't lying." the Quincy continued, his tone suddenly more serious. "I can't resist your Hakuda, Shiroyasha-san. Allow me to more properly introduce myself. I am Stern Ritter 'C', the Copy, Franz Benttino of his Majesty's Wandenreich." Shock quickly taking over, Seireitou launched himself backwards to examine his foe and consider his options. "Wandenreich... That's impossible." he thought to himself. "Furthermore... how is he managing to take my attacks. Is this his ability?" "Are you wondering how it works?" Franz questioned, echoing Seireitou's thoughts. "Every being, including yourself, possesses Reishi. Reishi is to spiritual beings, like DNA is to humans. It contains the essence of everything you are. Your hair color, your skin color, abilities, all of it. When we fight, it is released as reiatsu. We Quincy absorb Reishi, even in its released form, and make it our power. My ability allows me to use whatever information is contained in your Reishi as my own. Your speed... Your endurance... even..." The strike came fast. Faster than Seireitou expected from a human. Suddenly, his lower ribs were screaming. Pain from every possible nerve. Looking down, still in a daze, Seireitou saw it; blood. Erupting from his lower half. "Yes, Shiroyasha. Even your Hakuda." Franz finished his thought. "Bankai!" Seireitou roared. It was a rarity for Seireitou to release his Bankai these days. Its release was like a hurricane, tearing through the heavens with astonishing power. Even Franz, who by this point, had only feigned surprise, was genuinely showing it. Such was a proper reaction to seeing true power. "Bravo, Shiroyasha! Only you would notice my weakness this early. My ability cannot copy the powers of a Zanpakutō. More specifically, it cannot copy a Bankai. The Reishi is too dense. Quincy cannot absorb it." Franz applauded. The Quincy ripped a familiar object from his cloak, revealing it to be a palm-sized medallion. Seireitou saw this object and smirked, despite his injury. "Those again?" Seireitou mocked. "They won't work. Least of all on me. That was proven during the last war." "Did you think his Majesty would make the same mistake he made before? Or the mistakes of that heathen, Akujin?" Franz countered. "It ends here, Shiroyasha." Black energy poured from the strange medallion, tearing away the Bankai Seireitou had only just activated. "Attacking you was a risk, I'll admit." Franz began again. "Not just because of your power, but because, if you defeated me, we would be found out before his Majesty crippled Soul Society. Still, removing you from the equation is a biggy. If you interfered, our plans could collapse before it even began. And allowing you to alert Raian-san? Well, that just wouldn't be good either. I won't kill you, Kawahiru. At least, not yet. You will lay here, and when you awake, Seireitei will be gone." Pocketing the medallion, Franz held out his right hand, generating a Reishi handgun, clearly his Spirit Weapon of choice. Seireitou found himself in a situation he wasn't all too familiar with being in. Holding only his Shikai in his hand, he was wounded, and being held at gunpoint by an admittedly weaker being. "For now," the Quincy finally said. "Sleep." A shot rang out, as the Stern Ritter loosed a powerful arrow of reishi, striking the Shiroyasha in the temple and sending him soaring downward, crashing in a mild explosion into the vacant fields of the Rukongai below. His Majesty Makes His Move "Franz has managed to neutralize Seireitou Kawahiru, your Majesty." the voice of a Quincy spoke. Once more, the monarch, Yhwach, found himself seated upon his throne, staring out at the endless stormy nights of his domain. The sudden voice of his subordinate startled him from his thoughts, bringing himself back to reality. "Excellent." the king's voice replied. "After his part in Akujin's death, we can't take any chances of him warning his... comrade." "What now is his Majesty's will?" the Quincy's voice came once again. "We move only in the shadows. Before long, Soul Society will be overrun. But first, we must be sure that our plans aren't ended prematurely. Take the Sternritter into the Soul Society. We must be discreet and strike fast. Steal the Captains' Bankai. Try not to reveal us just yet, if at all possible. Then, we'll sit back and watch it burn." Yhwach replied, almost amused at his own brilliance. "What of the other Yonkō? Raian Getsueikirite?" the Quincy questioned, slight concern touching his voice. "The one who did Akujin in?" Yhwach queried. "You go to him personally. If you can, take him out of the battle." "It is as you wish, your Majesty. We leave tonight." the Quincy replied, fading into the blackness. End